Business Central and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce are pleased with the Government’s changes to extend the Small Business Loan Scheme announced today.

"It’s good to see the Government move quickly to lock in the policy changes signaled during the campaign," said John Milford, Chief Executive of Business Central and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

"While the scheme was to end December 2020, it is now clear that ramifications from Covid will continue well beyond the end of the year. While New Zealand continues to do everything it can to keep the virus out of our community, we must all remain vigilant.

"Some small businesses will continue to need assistance to get through the foreseeable future and it is important to support them and the jobs they sustain.

"The take-up on the loans so far - almost 100,000 businesses - shows there is a need for such a scheme and extending the scheme beyond this year acknowledges the ongoing need.

"The Prime Minister’s update on officials travelling to the Cook Islands to assess the viability of a two-way quarantine-free bubble is also a good signal to businesses that the Government is proactively looking for solutions to reopen New Zealand’s border safely.

"We urge the government to work closely with our airports, accommodation sector, and international education providers to ensure we can begin to safely bring in long-term students, critical workers, and RSE-scheme workers."

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